Educational device



Dec. 12, 1933. H. ALPEN 1,938,616

EDUCATI ONAL DEVI CE Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VENTOR.

M 'V W7 n ATTORNEY) Dec. l2, 1933. H, ALPEN 1,938,616

EDUCAT IONAL DEVI CE Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v yg g g/ f/ /4/ ,W

INVENTOR.

BY @a ,l Mud/90%, CAQ/l ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Henry Alpen, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 5, 1933. Serial No. 674,283

8 Claims.

Y11) ments to the earth is closely and compactly organized with the result that the device can be economically produced from materials and by means of facilities ordinarily available. While possessing this advantage the device is reliable and durable and may be easily operated by hand, crank or motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character and having these advantages and which is attractive in appearance and easily handled. In fact, no skill need be exercised nor appreciable effort expended to operate the device. Children may easily operate it and as easily understand it.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1 with the top or cover of the casing removed to illustrate the mechanism within the casing;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1 with parts shown in elevation for the sake of simplicity in illustration; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a casing which may be constructed of sheet vmetal and formed up to provide a bottom wall 2 and a side and end walls 3 and 4. A removable top 5 is provided and has a marginal flange 6 fitting over the upper portions of the side and end walls 3 and 4. If desired, screws or other fastening devices 6 may be utilized to releasably secure the anges of the top to the portions of the side and end walls which they overlap. Pads or buttons 7 providing feet or rests may be attached to the bottom so as to render the casing more readily shiftable across the table or other support on which it rests.

The top 5 is provided with a central opening 8 which is, however, almost completely closed by a central plate 9, the periphery of the plate and the marginal wall of the opening defining a slot 10. At the center of the plate 9, a lamp vsocket 11 is provided and has a flange 12 to which the plate 9 is fixed by means of screws 13. An electric light or lamp 14 representing the sun is inserted in the socket l1 in theusual way. The socket 1l rests on a collar l5 and this collar as well as the socket are both threaded on a sleeve 16. The sleeve 16 is also threadedly inter-connected with a fixed collar 17 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom wall 2 of the casing as indicated at 18. The'conductors for supplying current to the lampi14 are indicated at 19 and as illustrated may be led through the sleeve 16.

A main gear wheel 20 is rotatably mounted on a bearing 2l provided therefor on the socket 1l andcollar 15. This main gear wheel 20 is rotated from a driving sprocket 22 by means of a sprocket chain 23 trained over the Vdriving sprocket 22 and the'main gear 20. The driving sprocket 22 may be turned from a hand crank 24 or by means, of an electric motor. The sprocket chain23 is tensioned by means of an idler or tensioning sprocket 25 having its teeth ,meshed with the links of the sprocket chain and supported for rotation on an adjustable support or block 26.v A screw or other means may be employed to control the position of the block 26.

A tubular bearing, preferably in the form of i a short sleeve designated as 30, is securely interconnected with the marginal wall of an opening 31 provided in the main gear wheel adjacent its periphery. A sleeve shaft 32 has its lower portion rotatably fitted in the bearing 30 and has an annular shoulder 33v abutting the upper end of the bearing 30 to prevent axial movement of the sleeve shaft in one position. The lower end of the sleeve shaft projects below the lower end of the bearing 30 and has a sprocket wheel 34 fixed thereon. The hub of the sprocket wheel 34 prevents upward axial movement of the sleeve shaft.

A sprocket chain 35 is trained over this sprocket the section 38 is hollcwed out so as to receive and be secured to the lower end of the flexible shaft section 39. The lower portion of the section 38 projects down below the sleeve shaft 32 and beyond the sprocket wheel 34 and has a pinion 40 pinned or otherwise fixed thereto. This pinion 40 meshes with a circular rack 4l which is preferably formed by striking teeth up out of the bottom 2 of the casing.

A sphere designated generally at 45 and painted to represent the earth is provided. Interiorly this sphere has a dainetrically extending tube 46, the ends of which engage and are secured to the wall of the sphere. lines this tubular member and is secured as at 48 to the upper section 39 of the inner shaft. The sleeve 47 also telescopes in the upper end of the sleeve shaft 32. A washer 49 is interposed between the upper end of the sleeve shaft 32 and the adjacent portion of the tubular member 46. It will be noted that the upper portion of the sleeve shaft 32 is bent or inclined at an angle to the vertical and that the flexible section 39 of the inner shaft is similarly inclined.

The upper surface of the top 5 and center plate 9 of the casing have radiating lines 50 applied thereto, these radiating lines intersecting elliptical lines 51 between two of which are printed the names of the months, as indicated at 52, and between the two others of which are printed the signs of the zodiac, as indicated at 53. The elliptical lines represent the true path of movement of the earth.

With this construction, when the hand crank 24 is turned the driving sprocket 22 is also turned and the motion of this driving sprocket is transmitted through the chain 23 to the main gear wheel 20 which rotates about its axis. The rotation of the main gear wheel 20 imparts a bodily movement to the shafts 32 and 37 and consequently also to the sphere `45. Such movement of the sphere illustrates the bodily movement of the earth around its orbit. The daily rotation of the earth about its own axis is brought about by the pinion 40 and rack 4l, the pinion rotating the inner shaft 37 as it rolls about the rack 4l. In order to keep the earth pointing towards the north the shaft 32 is rotated a complete revolution each time the earth completes its bodily movement throughout its entire orbit, this motion resulting from the Vaction of the sprockets 34 and 36 and sprocket chain 35.

In this way all of the movements of the earth are accurately exhibited and this with a structure simple and durable and capable of easy and economic production. The position of the earth during the various seasons of the year and its relation to the signs of the zodiac are clearly illustrated. Y

While I have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this construction has been selected merely for the purposes of illustration and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An educational device comprising a casing having its top provided with a circular slot, a globe projecting upwardly from the top and within the confines of the slot and representing `the sun, a rotatable member within said casing, a bearing carried by said member and alined A sleeve 47y with the slot as said member rotates, a sleeve shaft rotatably fitted in said bearing and extending upwardly through the slot and above the top of the casing, an inner shaft rotatable in said sleeve shaft, portions of said sleeve shaft and of said inner shaft positioned above the top being inclined with respect to the vertical, a sphere xed to the upper end of the inner shaft and representing the earth, means for turning said rotatable member whereby to impart bodily movement to the sphere representative of the earths movement around its orbit, means within the casing and coacting with the sleeve shaft to turn the same, thereby keeping the axis of the sphere always pointing in one direction and means within the casing and coacting with the inner shaft for rotating the sphere about its own axis to represent the daily rotation of the earth.

2. An educational device comprising a casing having its top provided with a circular slot, a rotatable member within said casing, a bearing carried by said member and alined with the slot as said member rotates, a sleeve shaft rotatably fitted in said bearing and projecting up through said slot and about the top of the casing, an inner shaft rotatably fitted in the sleeve shaft, the upper end portions of the sleeve shaft and inner shaft above the top of the casing: being inclined, a sphere fixed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning the rotatable member, means within the casing for turning the vsleeve shaft as the rotatable member revolves, and means within the casing for turning the inner shaft as the rotatable member revolves.

An educational device comprising a casing having its top provided with a circular slot, a rotatable member within said. casing, a bearing carried by said member and alined with the slot as said member rotates, a sleeve shaft rotatably fitted in said bearing and projecting up through said slot and about the top of the casing, an inner shaft rotatably fitted in the sleeve shaft, the upper end portions of the sleeve shaft and inner shaft above the top of the casing being inclined, a sphere fixed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning the rotatable member, chain and sprocket gearing within the. casing for turning the sleeve shaft as the rotatable member revolves, and means within the casing for turning the inner shaft as the rotatable member revolves.

4. An educational device comprising a casing having its top'provided with a circular slot, a rotatable member within said casing, a bearing carried by said member and alined with the slot as said member rotates, a sleeve shaft rotatably fitted in said bearing and projecting up through said slot and about the top of the casing, an inner shaft rotatably tted yin the sleeve shaft, the upper end portions of the sleeve shaft and inner shaft above the top of the casing being inclined, a sphere fixed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning the rotatable member, means within the casing for' turning the sleeve shaft as the rotatable member revolves, the lower end of the inner shaft projecting downwardly beyond the sleever shaft, a pinion fixed to the projecting lower end of the inner shaft, and a circular rack xed within the casing and with which said pinion meshes.

5. An educational device comprising a casing having its tcp provided with a circular slot, a rotatable member within sai casing, a bearing carriedfby said member and alined with the slot lOO as said member rotates, a sleeve shaft rotatably fitted in said bearing and projecting up through said slot and about the top of the casing, an inner shaft rotatably fitted in the sleeve shaft, the upper end portions of the sleeve shaft and inner shaft above the top of the casing being inclined, a sphere fixed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning the rotatable member, means within the casing for turning the sleeve shaft as the rotatable member revolves, the lower end of the inner shaft projecting downwardly beyond the sleeve shaft, a pinion fixed to the projecting lower end o1' the inner shaft, and rack teeth integral with the bottom of the casing and extending upwardly therefrom to provide a circular rack with which said pinion meshes.

6. An educational device comprising a rotatable gear wheel, a bearing carried thereby, a sleeve shaft rotatable in said bearing, an inner shaft rotatable in said sleeve shaft, the upper ends of both of said shafts being inclined from the vertical, a sphere fixed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning said gear wheel, means for turning the inner shaft as the gear wheel revolves, and means for turning the sleeve shaft relative to the inner shaft as the gear wheel revolves.

7. An educational device comprising a rotatable gear wheel, a bearing carried thereby, a sleeve shaft rotatable in said bearing, an inner shaft rotatable in said sleeve shaft, the upper ends of both of said shafts being inclined from the vertical, a sphere xed to the upper end of the inner shaft, means for turning said gear wheel, a sprocket wheel xed to the lower end of the sleeve shaft, a fixed sprocket wheel coaxially disposed with respect to the main gear wheel, a sprocket chain trained over said sprocket Wheels whereby to turn the sleeve shaft through one complete revolution for each complete revolution of the main gear wheel, and means for turning the inner shaft about its axis as the gear wheel revolves.

8. An educational device comprising a rotatable gear wheel, a bearing carried thereby, a sleeve shaft rotatable in said bearing, an inner shaft rotatable in said sleeve shaft, the upper ends of both of said shafts being inclined from the vertical, a sphere xed to the upper endk of the inner shaft, means for turning said gear wheel, means for turning the sleeve shaft through one complete revolution for each complete revolution of the main gear wheel, said inner shaft having its lower end projecting below the sleeve shaft, a pinion xed to the lower end of the inner shaft and a fixed circular rack with which said pinion meshes whereby to turn the sleeve shaft and consequently the sphere as the main gear wheel revolves.

HENRY ALPEN. 

